10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2015

One must travel to Africa and Asia to marvel at their diversity, and it is in Africa that you may come across one attractive species, the Red-winged Starling. Male Red-winged Starlings (left) have glossy-black heads, while the females (right) have grey heads. And they have done well for themselves.

Ostriches 147

Ostriches South Africa Africa Reptiles 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2020

Being a land-locked country with 1400+ species is remarkable in its own right. With improved stability and infrastructure, the Irrawaddy plains and Eastern Himalayas of Myanmar could offer some of the greatest bird species densities in the whole of Asia. As the least accessible, Bolivia unjustly attracts less attention in this group.

Uganda 257

Uganda Bolivia Ecuador Indonesia 257

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2016

Asia: Indeed, some 150 meters away, four males of the Great Indian Bustard are semi-displaying – more than one per cent of the surviving population! Africa: Two more shadows in the spotlight, two of the most endangered carnivores of the sub-Saharan Africa are coming along the road, toward us: African Painted Dogs (Wild Dogs).

Wildlife 185

Wildlife Tigers Asia Europe 185

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2022

Shimmering in the distance, Nilgais , the biggest antelopes of Asia, walk by. Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse One Chinkara (Indian gazelle) male follows the female keeping his head low and sniffing her. A bit further away, there is another male, this one with a dozen female strong harem. The main tactic is diversion. And the animals themselves?

Gazelles 261

Gazelles India 2012 Endangered Species 261

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2020

There is a thing parents know very well – how important it is to choose the right name for a child. For example, I have birded 4 continents, Europe, Southern Africa, South Asia and Central America and have seen 200-300 species in every region, yet, due to overlapping, they do not even sum up to a 10% of all bird species!

Family 297

Family Birds South America Breeding 297

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

However South Africa doesn’t meet either of these criteria, but one special factor nevertheless carries it into this auspicious list of 17 nations – the Cape Florisitic Kingdom. The Southern Double-collared Sunbird is a common denizen of the West Coast of South Africa where-ever flowering plants abound.

South Africa 243

South Africa Africa New Zealand Asia 243

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

I’m sure you’ve all heard of Africa’s famous Big Five , but do you know there is also an equally fascinating Little Five ? Africa is famous for its large, charismatic mammals, and the Big Five epitomize the most sought-after of these fantastic beasts. This blog post will discuss both the Big and Little members of these quintuplets.

Buffalo 213

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 213

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2022

It takes the place of prinias in Asia, maybe some “warblers” in Europe and Africa. Costa Rica is more than cloud forest with mega worthy quetzals, more than rainforest with fancy Keel-billed Toucans and luscious Green Honeycreepers. Those are certainly two of several birdy habitats in this bio-wonderland.

Costa Rica 273

Costa Rica Farming Birds Sparrows 273

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

I live in the southeast of Europe, for a while lived in the south of Africa and also have extensively birded western and central India. And I remembered that, back when I was a boy, I wanted to live in eastern Africa. Which leaves only East Africa. Some regions are politically unstable, e.g. most of Central and Western Africa.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2013

To all but the greediest rice and spirulina farmers of Southeast Asia, any member of the genus Lonchura is a joy to watch. The munias, or mannikins, or silverbills, as the genus’ members are called, are finches belonging to the Estrildidae , and the 40-odd species range from Africa throughout South and Southeast Asia to Australia.

Indonesia 177

Indonesia Asia 2012 Africa 177

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2015

You see, the Great (White) Heron/Egret is a polytypic species with four subspecies: alba in Europe, egretta in the Americas, melanorhynchos in Africa, and modesta in Asia and Oceania. But we’re far from done with the confusion. egretta : legs mostly black, plumage white, bill mostly yellow/orange, size considerable.

Asia 185

Asia Europe Germany Breeding 185

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2012

Great Reed Warblers breed across huge chunks of Europe and Asia and winter across large swaths of southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. At least, that is what this North American birder thinks – we’ll know for sure if I ever encounter one again! If that makes any sense at all.)

Hungary 161

Hungary Asia Europe Africa 161

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

Larry starts us off right with an owl that makes birders drool: I was able to see and photograph many great birds in 2014 but my Best Bird of the Year would have to be the Great Gray Owl , the largest Strix in North America. Below are our Best Birds of the Year. What was yours? Let us know in the comments…see you there!

2014 197

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 197

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 31, 2019

Since Craig Robson’s “Birds of Thailand” (2002) is taxonomically outdated, the choice was Robson’s “Birds of South-East Asia” (the updated second, 2014 edition of the 2001 classic). Yet, if you already have Robson’s “Birds of South-East Asia” – taxonomy aside, do you need this book? Or tertiary. Or who cares. Yes, you do.

Thailand 199

Thailand Zambia Birds Asia 199

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 24, 2016

Without a doubt, one of the best bits of writing on the split of the two birds, was actually featured right here on this site. The Common Gallinule , is the most wide spread of all the members of the rail family, being found from Canada, to Chile, Europe, Asia, Africa, much of the Pacific, and the Galapagos Islands.

Chile 100

Chile Breeders Asia Mexico 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2011

Africa has the African Skimmer R. flavirostris and South Asia has R. But, really, as you can see from the image to the right, the entire bird is relatively thin, and can almost turn invisible when it is flying directly at you. Black Skimmers are one of three species of skimmer in the world, all in the genus Rynchops.

Niger 176

Niger New York Asia Fish 176

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2013

Therefore I have decided to right my wrong by providing first and foremost some avian eye candy, and not talk. It breeds in a broad and not quite coherent band from Iceland in the west through central Europe and southern Scandinavia all the way to eastern Russia, wintering in Africa, parts of India, and Southeast Asia to Australia.

Germany 179

Germany Russia Iceland India 179

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2013

If you are a migratory bird in Europe and western Asia, this is your sweet spot. It all seems like such a charmed life … until you have to fly down to Africa for the winter. (Photo by David Guttenfelder, courtesy of National Geographic ).

Cambodia 145

Cambodia Slaughter Slaughtered Cyprus 145

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2022

I do not get too many comments on my blog posts, but it seems that whenever I write about jacanas – whether in Africa, Australia, or Asia – there is an unusually high number of reactions (well, maybe one or two rather than the usual zero) from female readers. Sounds like clever behavior by the parrotbills, right?

Birds 162

Birds South Korea Japan Abandon 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2014

The prinias are a group of around 25 Old World warbler species found in Africa and Asia. On the contrary, it may very well be one of the most dangerous bird species in Asia, if not the world. This species, as small and as brown as it may be, does not seem quite as harmless as its looks suggest. So, move over Cassowary.

Burma 162

Burma Laos Birds Indonesia 162

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

Despite filling very similar garbage disposal related niches, the vultures in North America and the vultures in Eurasia/Africa are really not that closely related. Large, hulking, and menacing, the Old World Vultures , who reach their greatest diversity in sub-Saharan Africa, had a reputation, maybe undeserved, for viciousness.

California Condor 190

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 190

Animal Person

MARCH 27, 2009

Henican writes: The truth of the matter, of course, is that most city kids will never have the chance to visit the wilds of Africa and Asia, assuming there are any wilds left in the decades to come. The elitist “animal-rights” zealots hate to admit this.

Circus Animals 100

Circus Animals New York City Elephants Zoos 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2021

In 2012, I reviewed The Jewel Hunter , an absorbing narrative in which author Chris Goodie travelled throughout Asia, Africa, and Australasia to observe and photograph every Pitta species in the world. He sat…his crown giving searing shafts of violet as the light caught the feathers at just the right angle.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Brazil Ecuador Bolivia 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

On our way back, three Common Bottlenose Dolphins show right next to the boat and, some time later, a Painted Lady ( Vanessa cardui ) butterfly appears some 300 metres downwind from the shore. After a light seafood lunch and some local brew, we went to the hills surrounding the Finikas.

Greece 242

Greece Malta Croatia Birds 242

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

With a trip to South Africa on the horizon at the time, I thought I could handle it. Kinabalu (at 13,455 feet the highest peak in southeast Asia), and human development that has resulted in freshwater rice fields, secondary forest, and oil palm plantations, this means that Borneo offers an incredibly high degree of biodiversity.

Brunei 179

Brunei Birds Asia China 179

10,000 Birds

APRIL 12, 2011

Any plans for further afield (USA, Asia, Africa)? This has kept us to a West-palearctic range (so near east and north Africa are in principle within our range even though these areas haven’t yet been covered). so far you have focussed on European nature. One of the objectives of the series is to show that this isn’t the case.

Badgers 145

Badgers Ethics Africa Spain 145

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

A housecat in Buenos Aires got its start in Africa, a sheep in Australia to the Middle East, a chicken in Ireland can trace its origin to the jungles of Asia. They took dogs to Australia, chickens across the Pacific, rabbits to England, horses to the New World, and then brought potatoes back.

New Zealand 162

New Zealand Possums Rabbits Ferrets 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

Oriental Pied Hornbills are common enough and probably the most likely hornbill to be seen in many parts of SE Asia, but seeing them at such close quarters and seemingly so relaxed is unusual. Tragic, right? Oriental Pied Hornbills by Redgannet. Though Clare K. Sociable Lapwing. For starters, there’s the rarity factor.

2013 168

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 168

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2011

What’s remarkable about this species is what we don’t see here: the extremely long migration that this species makes, with some individuals traveling from Sub-Saharan Africa to Greenland and back every year. Wicked, right? And then of course who could forget the Cypriot endemic, the Cyprus Wheatear. Hat-tip to Stella.

Cyprus 145

Cyprus 2011 Deer New York 145

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2014

Where did the Coney Island Gray-hooded Gull come from, Africa or South America? Howell, Ian Lewington, and Will Russell, right in front of me. What are the chances of finding a Redwing amidst flocks of robins? What does “ship assisted” mean? I kept wishing I had Rare Birds of North America , by Steve N.

North America 259

North America America Birds United States 259

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

There are a lot of other large Galliforme birds around the world, and before the Spanish were busy conquering the New World, one of these, from Central Asia most likely, was already being imported as a food product and as live birds into Europe. This is the time of year that we rightfully contemplate the noble Turkey.

Turkey 210

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 210

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

This is like Sibley calling his bird guide “The Sibley guide to Birds of Massachusetts and North America” The latter sounds silly, right? I’ve never seen anything like it, and I learned a great deal from them – after having tracked animals in Europe and Africa already for nearly 20 years. Lars-Henrik Olsen.

Europe 166

Europe Mammals Animal Birds 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Ringer Anhinga and Darters (Anhingidae) The Anhinga and three darter species inhabit warm, freshwater regions of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. Wicked, right? Reed Cormorant ( Microcarbo africanus ), Nairobi, Kenya © David J. Hat-tip to Stella. Coreys 2011 Year List - 228 Copyright © 2011 10,000 Birds.

2011 155

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 155